Hypothalamic motivational systems: fixed or plastic neural circuits?
Eating and drinking were elicited by electrical stimulation through the same electrode in the hypothalamus of a satiated rat. Intensity thresholds for eliciting eating and drinking were different, and both thresholds decreased with repeated testing. These findings suggest an alternative to the hypothesis that the neural organization of hypothalamic drive systems is modified by experience.
D000818:Animals; D004326:Drinking; D004328:Drive; D004435:Eating; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D007858:Learning; D009474:Neurons / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011603:Psychophysiology; D051381:Rats; D013894:Thirst